Chikungunya confirmed in Uganda

[Ronan Kelly]

Strange malaria-like disease hits UgandaPublish Date: Feb 03, 2014
Strange malaria-like disease hits Uganda

newvision
By John Agaba

Health experts have confirmed a strange viral infection in Uganda. Chikungunya, transmitted by mosquitoes and whose signs and symptoms are similar to those of malaria, has no known vaccine or cure at the moment.

Dr. Myers Lugemwa, the head of the malaria control programme at the health ministry, confirmed cases of the chikungunya infection in Uganda, especially around River Semliki and in the West Nile region.

He, however, said there were few incidences, so there was no need for panic.
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http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/652072-strange-malaria-like-disease-hits-uganda.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Chikungunya confirmed in Uganda

Has been around for some time, apparently...

The occurrence of chikungunya virus in Uganda I. Isolation from mosquitoes
M.P. Weinbren, A.J. Haddow and M.C. Williams
+ Author Affiliations

East African Virus Research Institute, UK
Abstract

The three parts of this communication describe the isolation of virus from Aedes africanus, both in mice and a monkey and of another strain of virus from a human serum, this time in mice only.These agents have been shown to be identical, to have caused disease in both man and rhesus monkey, and to be identical to Chikungunya virus, which had not hitherto been known to occur in Uganda. Paired sera from another human subject show that the disease suffered by this man was also caused by Chikungunya virus. Both the men concerned gave histories which tallied closely with the description given by ROBINSON 1955 in her report of the original epidemic in Newala, Tanganyika.
...
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg (1958) 52 (3): 253-262.
doi: 10.1016/0035-9203(58)90084-1